GRIDCo gives Ejisu traders and residents 30 days to leave transmission corridor

Pinned summary · as of 16:37

The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) has told people living and working beneath its high-voltage lines at Ejisu, in the Ashanti Region, that they must leave within 30 days. The order covers residents, traders, artisans and drivers, and forms part of a stepped-up push to clear structures from the company's Right of Way.

What we know

• GRIDCo set a 30-day deadline for residents, traders, artisans and drivers using land under its transmission lines at Ejisu to move out.
• The Ejisu notice belongs to a wider GRIDCo drive to remove encroachments from its Right of Way, combining public awareness work with eviction.
• GRIDCo says people occupying the corridor put themselves and critical electricity infrastructure at risk. Engineer Bismark Anane, its Director of Land Management, said engineers need clear ground so they can carry out routine maintenance and emergency repairs.
• Some of those affected accept that the location is hazardous but have asked GRIDCo and the authorities to arrange places for them to relocate to, warning that sudden loss of their workplaces would hurt their livelihoods.
• On money, GRIDCo said compensation is not automatic for everyone affected. It said it considers compensation where its own projects directly affect verified homes or livelihoods, and Mr Anane said occupants are first identified through an enumeration exercise.
• GRIDCo has urged all occupants to comply with the notice and clear the corridor within the 30 days.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Rainbow Radio Online reported that Mr Anane limited compensation to people holding valid legal documents that prove ownership or tenancy from before the corridor was designated; this detail has not appeared in other reports.
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  Some occupants told Rainbow Radio Online that officials of the Ejisu Municipal Assembly looked the other way and let them set up in the danger zone. The claim comes from the occupants alone and no response from the assembly is reported.
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  A few long-standing residents said they settled there ahead of the high-tension masts being erected and asked GRIDCo to treat them on humanitarian grounds, according to Rainbow Radio Online; this has not been confirmed elsewhere.
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  Rainbow Radio Online described the effort as an Ashanti Region campaign whose first phase is at Ejisu, whereas other reports refer only to the Ejisu notice.
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  Opemsuo 104.7 reported a GRIDCo public notice saying homes receive 240 Volts while its lines carry up to 330,000 Volts, and that its network runs at 69,000, 161,000, 225,000 and 330,000 Volts. These figures are the company's own and no other report repeats them.

Why it matters for Ghana

Many livelihoods around Ejisu, from roadside trading to workshops and transport, depend on land now marked for clearance, so the 30-day window is short for those affected. The dispute also shows the tension between keeping high-voltage lines safe and accessible for repairs, which supports reliable electricity for households and businesses, and the lack of alternative sites for people who have settled beneath them. Who qualifies for compensation, and how quickly relocation help is offered, will decide how much families lose.